Života Panić

Života Panić
Života Panić
Born	November 3, 1933
Died	November 19, 2003 (aged 70)
Place of birth	Gornja Crnišava, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Place of death	Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro
Allegiance	Yugoslavia; FR Yugoslavia
Service/branch	Yugoslav People's Army (to 1992) ; Yugoslav Army (to 1993)
Years of service	1952-1993
Rank	Colonel General
Battles/wars	Yugoslav wars

Života Panić (Serbian Cyrillic: Живота Панић) (November 3, 1933, Gornja Crnišava, Kingdom of Yugoslavia – November 19, 2003, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro) was the last acting minister of defense and army chief of staff in the Yugoslav government. Panić held the rank of General, he was in charge of the Yugoslav people's army after the resignation of general Blagoje Adžić in 1992. Panić was in office from 1992 until 1993 (in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) through the dissolution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1993, he was sacked for scandals relating to his son Goran Panić who was supplying the army at supposed inflated prices.

Panić graduated from Yugoslavian military school as a tank commander and gradually rose through the ranks of the Yugoslav People's Army through the 1970s and 1980s. He was given authority over the 1st Army District (Belgrade) and was the senior officer in charge of the units which fought in the battle of Vukovar. When the complete dissolution of former Yugoslavia was steadily occurring around April 27, 1992, Panić's position was no longer applicable to the current political problems and complications. He was offered a position of chief of staff in the new Yugoslav Army. Panić began to re-align the Yugoslav army in 1993 with new battle-plans and strategies,^{[citation needed]} but was not prepared for the political power struggles that were occurring in Belgrade at the time and retired. He died in Belgrade on November 19, 2003, shortly after his 70th birthday.

Military offices
Preceded by Blagoje Adžić	Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Chief of the General Staff of the Yugoslav Army 8 May 1992 - 26 August 1993¹	Succeeded by Momčilo Perišić
Preceded by Blagoje Adžić (acting)	Federal secretary of people's defense (acting) 8 May 1992 - 20 May 1992	Succeeded by Position abolished
Notes and references
1. Army transformed 20 May 1992

External links[]

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